What Peter Bendix is looking for at catcher and the options available to the Marlins

Peter Bendix knows one of the Miami Marlins’ biggest needs starts behind home plate.

After the Marlins opted not to tender a contract to Jacob Stallings, Miami has just one catcher on its 40-man roster in Nick Fortes. Adding at least one catcher, whether by promoting from within or acquiring one externally, is all but a requirement before spring training begins.

“Everybody knows we need two catchers,” Bendix, the Marlins’ president of baseball operations, told reporters Friday at the Marlins’ annual Thanksgiving meal distribution event at loanDepot park, “and ideally more than two catchers.”

And Bendix said he is not leaving any option off the table for how they get there, saying the Marlins are “going to just be on the lookout for anybody and everybody.”

“Minor-league free agency, trades, major-league free agency — there’s a lot of good catchers out there,” Bendix said, “and I think we have a really good opportunity that catchers are going to want to come here.”

The Marlins got very little production offensively out of their catchers last season, with the combination of Stallings and Fortes ranking 29th in MLB in batting average (.200) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.570) as well as 28th in home runs (nine) and RBI (46).

Fortes at least was solid defensively last season and will look to build on that. His five defensive runs saved according to FanGraphs ranked tied for eighth last season among 22 catchers who were behind the plate for at least 750 innings. He was also among MLB’s best at blocking, with his 13 blocks above average the third most in MLB last season according to Statcast.

Fortes was also the primary catcher for left-handed pitchers Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett, who both had breakout seasons in 2023 and are expected to be key contributors for Miami’s rotation in 2024 with Sandy Alcantara sidelined following offseason Tommy John surgery.

As for who the Marlins bring in to work in tandem with Fortes? That’s where things get interesting.

The Marlins’ top catcher prospects in the upper stages of the minor leagues are Will Banfield and Paul McIntosh. Banfield is the more defensively sound of the two and is coming off a breakout offensive season (.258 average, .774 OPS, 23 home runs, 76 RBI) but hasn’t played above Double A Pensacola. McIntosh has a career .835 OPS in three minor-league seasons and reached Triple A in 2023.

Externally, the top catchers on the free agent market with MLB experience are as follows: Gary Sanchez, Mitch Garver, Victor Caratini, Roberto Perez, Austin Hedges, Curt Casali, Jorge Alfaro, Michael Perez, Chadwich Tromp, Tucker Barnhart, Manny Pina, Mike Zunino, Yasmani Grandal, Andrew Knizner and Martin Maldonado.

“In my opinion, catching is the most difficult job in baseball,” Bendix said. “It’s the most difficult position to play. You’re asked to do so many different things that have nothing to do with hitting, and you’re also asked to hit. It takes a big physical toll on your body to go out there and catch. It takes a big mental toll to game plan, to develop relationships, and then also you have to go out and hit. Guys develop at different paces. It can be really physically demanding, and it’s really hard to evaluate when you have that many things that you need to be good at.”